Textron AirLand's Scorpion ISR/Strike Jet Readies for Upcoming US Events and Military Exercises

Fresh from its first trans-Atlantic Flight and European debut, Scorpion moves on to Vigilant Guard Exercise; NGAUS General Conference & Exhibition; The Scorpion Washington, D.C. Fly-In; and the Air Force Association Air & Space Conference.

Textron AirLand, LLC, a joint venture between Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) and AirLand Enterprises, LLC, today announced that its Scorpion aircraft will participate in a number of promotional and demonstration events attended by branches of the U.S. and international militaries.

From August 4-7, Scorpion will take part in Vigilant Guard 2014, a large-scale, multi-state disaster response exercise conducted in Kansas, sponsored by U.S. Northern Command and the National Guard Bureau. The training exercise tests the capabilities of emergency response agencies at all levels of government, both military and civil. More than 2,000 local, state, and federal personnel are expected to participate over the course of the six-day exercise at locations throughout Kansas, including Fort Riley, Overland Park, Salina, Crisis City and Smoky Hill Weapons Range near Salina, Topeka, and Wichita. Scorpion’s role in Vigilant Guard will be to provide aerial reconnaissance, transmission of full motion video and communications regarding mock threat scenarios, in tight coordination with other aircraft and ground stations.

NGAUS General Conference & Exhibition

Soon after Vigilant Guard, Scorpion will be promoted in the Textron AirLand exhibit at the National Guard Association of the U.S. (NGAUS) 136th General Conference & Exhibition, from August 22-25 in Chicago. This is the National Guard’s largest annual event, featuring displays of the latest military technology and presentations by leaders such as Gen. Mark A. Welsh, Jr. , the Air Force chief of staff; Rep. William Enyart , D – Ill., a former Illinois adjutant general; Gen. Darren W. McDew , the commander of Air Mobility Command; and Lt. Gen. Michael S. Tucker , the commander of First U.S. Army.

Air Force Association Air & Space Conference

The Scorpion will fly into Washington, D.C., to coincide with the AFA Air & Space Conference. This the largest annual gathering of Air Force leaders, featuring more than 45 forums and a Technology Exposition spanning 100,000 square feet of space to showcase the latest technology within the air defense industry. A model of Scorpion will be on exhibit from September 15-17, and invited guests will be able to see the actual Scorpion during a special event hosted at a facility close to the conference.

Progress Update

“We saw strong interest in Scorpion during The Royal International Air Tattoo and Farnborough International Air Show,” said Bill Anderson , president of Textron AirLand. “While in the U.K., we briefed numerous international militaries on Scorpion’s multi-mission capabilities, as air forces see a growing need to execute sustained ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) in an affordable way. We see Vigilant Guard and other upcoming events as opportunities to prove how Scorpion delivers high capability at a relatively low cost.”

Scorpion’s first trans-Atlantic roundtrip flight was completed on July 23, one day ahead of schedule. The flight from Wichita, Kansas to the U.K. air shows and back, covered over 9,200 nautical miles in total of 38 hours flight time. Since its first flight in December 2013, the aircraft has been engaged in a rigorous flight testing program, with 155 flight hours logged thus far. The team is currently on pace to reach its goal of 300 flight test hours in 2014. Future plans for Scorpion include live weapons testing, subject to obtaining required government approvals.